Krups XP7225 Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

Excellent coffee -- lousy reliability
We bought this machine from Williams-Sonoma and liked it so much that we stuck with the coffee through four separate units, each of which failed within three weeks for a different reason. My wife and I each drink 2-3 shots of espresso per day, for a total of 6-8 cycles of the machine (including self rinsing): this is within their warranty rate of 10 cycles per day. We use non-greasy beans and reverse-osmosis water, both of which are recommended by the manufacturer. At first I thought we just got unlucky -- every factory makes a few lemons -- but after four machines and four independent failure modes I'm convinced they're just poorly built.

For coffee : 4-5 stars. When they work, these machines are just adjustable enough for us - you can adjust the grind, the water temperature, and the water volume independently to "sight in" your ideal shot. For reliability: -4 stars. I would give this product just a single star, but the titanium fronted one comes with a terrific...

Heartbreaker
Loved it for the four weeks it actually worked. Krups had us send it to their service center. It came back after a month, still leaking out the bottom. Called Krups again and they wanted us to send it back to the service center once more-- when it just came back from there with no change?! I said I didn't want to do that again, that the unit is clearly defective (hey, we tried) and now it's time for a replacement or a refund. The customer service agent said no, that my only option was to send it back to their service center.

If you are selling a defective product, and you know it, at least try to keep your company's reputation intact by taking responsibility for it, you know?

Finally, amazon agreed to take it back and refund our money. Anybody recommend a good DeLonghi?

Great Size, great Coffee, Steam needs improvement
Today I received my Krups XP7225 Compact Fully Automatic Espresso Machine after doing hours and hours of research. I liked the things I read about it- small size, some control over output, flavor, crema, dependability compared to other models of interest.

I have to admit that I don't usually drink espresso. I prefer to add milk to my coffee. I like to enjoy a latte or cappuccinno. I do not add syrups or sweeteners- no flavors- no sugar.

So, I really need to bring out the sweetness of the milk, and to do that I need to get the milk to at least 140 degrees. When the milk hits 140 degrees the natural sweetness of milk bursts through, and you can enjoy a reasonably sweet and creamy beverage without using sugar, and fend off osteoporosis at the same time. I learned from a barista in Rome that lattes and cappuccinos do not have to be loaded with chocolate or caramel to taste sweet and delicious. You just have to know how to produce proper steamed milk! I had...

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